Portugal

The Euro just eeked out a new high, invalidating the Head and Shoulders pattern and setting the stage for additional upside gains to 145 or even 150 if things really take off. It’s extraordinary given that the European Union continues to collapse (Portugal is next up on the block).This rally in the Euro has coincided with further weakness in the US Dollar, which has now taken out its 2010 low, leaving the 2009 low and 2008 lows as the final lines of support before we enter uncharted territory.

As was first disclosed by Zero Hedge, PIMCO trimmed its Treasury holdings in February to zero. While many speculated that the reason is concern for global inflation, we now have the confirmation courtesy of a rhetorical Q&A with Saumil Parikh released by the Newport asset management giant. In a nutshell: "Setting aside immediate oil shocks, we believe global inflation has cyclically troughed and we see a secular upswing in inflation, which naturally will put upward pressure on interest rates. We see three key global factors as potentially adding to inflation over a long horizon: (i) The degradation of sovereign balance sheets and the structural inflexibility of fiscal deficits. (ii) Emerging markets used to export disinflation to the developed world, but over the secular horizon we see them as exporting inflation. (iii) As populations age, they tend to save less and consume more. Demographics may thus become an inflationary force globally, though possibly this risk will be balanced somewhat by demographics in emerging nations. In the near term, we anticipate most, though not all, global central banks are likely to err on the side of allowing inflation to rise above stated or implied targets during 2011. In the U.S., if the economic recovery sputters, the Fed could expand quantitative easing. But further deficit accommodation would pose inflation risks. Obviously nothing new here, and just a confirmation that in order to preserve the Wealth Effect, Bernanke will be forced to put the global Genocide (And Printing)Effect into overdrive.

There has been a lot of speculation about just what the JPMorgan note that claims the Portuguese government can fall as soon as tomorrow, says. The speculation can now end. "The likelihood that the Portuguese government will fall this week looks high. This suggests that the sovereign will likely access the EFSF in the near term, despite the current government's efforts to avoid this outcome." Incidentally if JPM is right, the market better have priced in the next insolvent domino to drop in Europe, although judging by where the EURUSD is these days, the market decided to take a long hard sabbatical about 2 weeks ago.

Futures mostly positive this morning, with European stocks rising despite rising concerns over the EMU’s bailout fund. The BOJ announced today that lender’s deposits with the bank will increase 146% to a high of ¥43.6T today v ¥17.7T the day before the earthquake as Japan continues to inject large amounts of cash into the financial system to help speed the recovery. The BOJ announced today that lender’s deposits with the bank will increase 146% to a high of ¥43.6T today v ¥17.7T the day before the earthquake as Japan continues to inject large amounts of cash into the financial system to help speed the recovery. Fiscal pressures worsened in the UK with a new report showing an increased budget deficit rose as revenue fell. Inflation pressures are worsening as well as UK CPI rose 0.7% MoM and 4.4% YoY v 0.6%E MoM and 4.2%E YoY.

Futures positive this morning as Japan’s nuclear crisis made a step forward and U.N. allies took control of Libya’s airspace. Portugal’s government will present its fiscal austerity plans to Parliament today. Portuguese PM Socrates has warned of his resignation if the plan does not get passed while the main opposition party which has reached majority position has shown no support for the cost-cutting. The potential political turmoil will make a foreign bailout likely. Sunday’s German regional election in Saxony-Anhalt, showed less support for Chancellor Merkel’s CDU party which lost ground in the victory. Its lead in the region’s coalition will likely remain the same, but foreshadows a greater potential upset in the next round of election on March 27. U.N. allies began airstrikes on Libya this weekend, taking control of the country’s airspace and stopping Qaddafi’s advance on rebel outposts. Meanwhile, Syria and Yemen continue to see social unrest, adding to upward pressure on oil prices. Japan managed to gain control of two of six nuclear reactors, but the situation still remains dangerous despite the accomplishment.

No more copy paste from the world's biggest bond deflationist. A day after the NYT announced it will soon see its traffic plunge courtesy of a paywall, David Rosenberg says he is going the premium route as well. "Since first publishing Breakfast with Dave when I started with Gluskin Sheff + Associates back in May 2009, we had always notified our readership that the report was going to be made available on a free trial basis. For clients of our firm, the report is still going to be made available for free. But for non-clients, the free trial period will finish by the end of March. At that time, the Breakfast (and other meals) with Dave will become a paid subscription service with an annual fee of CAD $1,000." Sad - no more copy paste from one of the smarter macroeconomists out there.

Earlier today Portugal had a deplorable bond auction of €1 billion in 12 month Bills, which saw the interest rate paid jump to nearly 4.5% even as general demand indicated by Bid to Cover plunge from 3.1 to 2.2. And even so, the bulk of the purchasing was from Asia, read China, as the last thing Japan needs now is to rescue a insolvent Portugal, according to a finance minister disclosure. From Reuters: "The 12-month T-bill yield rose to 4.331 percent from 4.057 percent in an auction on March 2, in line with analyst expectations of around 4.3 percent and with the secondary market. It also stayed below record levels seen in December." Alas, while Portugal purchased a few days of funding, it merely confirmed that it is now effectively bankrupt as paying 4.3% for 12 months worth of debt indicates the Rubicon has long been passed. Look for Portugal to be bailed out any minute. And in attempting to avoid the same fate, Belgium decided to "postpone" its own bond issuance of 6 year benchmark notes on concern investors will puke all over the paper. "Belgium delayed the sale of a new six-year benchmark bond on Tuesday due to market volatility caused by the Japan earthquake and explosions at a nuclear power station there. Plans to issue the new bond, maturing in June 2017, were announced on Monday, with Deutsche Bank, KBC Bank and Morgan Stanley mandated as joint bookrunners. The markets are so volatile at the moment and attention is concentrating on what is happening in Japan," debt agency chief Anne Leclerq told Reuters." Luckily unlike Portugal which has no choice but to raise debt at every opportunity, Belgium has the choice to await greener pastures. For now.

The Nikkei 225 finally saw a rebound yesterday, moving up 5.7% after its biggest two day fall in over twenty years. Nevertheless, the threat of nuclear disaster lingers and investors are demanding higher premiums on the country’s debt. Japan sold ¥1.1T in 20Y JGBs today at 2.13%, steepening the curve. S&P sees Chinese expansion slowing in 2011, forecasting GDP 9.1-9.6% with CPI in the 4.3-4.8% range. PBOC household inflation expectations weakening. February data indicate that money supply and lending activity have slowed, with lending down almost 50% from January’s flows. In its FOMC meeting yesterday, the Fed reported that the economic recovery is on a “firmer footing” while it made no mention of the current turmoil in Japan. The Fed acknowledged an increase in commodity prices, but qualified them as temporary. In our opinion, the Fed appeared more hawkish than in the last meeting in January, especially given the circumstances. The usage of the stronger language, however, does not foretell any significant change in our opinion, but rather should serve to shift the market focus even more towards jobs data. Mortgage applications for last week dropped 0.7% v +15.5% the week prior. Meanwhile, as anti-government protests continued, Bahrain declared a three month state of emergency yesterday. Along with the declaration came a second unit of military support from neighboring Gulf nations and a Fitch ratings downgrade from A- to BBB on the country’s long-term sovereign debt. Bahrain closed its stock market today and CDS spreads widened significantly.

The Nikkei 225 plummeted to its lowest point in two years as the damage due to Japan’s recent earthquake became realized. The Bank of Japan injected ¥15T ($183B) into money markets this morning to maintain financial stability within Japan’s economy, while boosting asset purchasing capability to ¥40T from ¥35T to head off a likely decline in business sentiment. Reports put Japan’s insured earthquake losses at $14.5-35B, excluding tsunami-related losses. As a leading global consumer, Japan’s weakened state will likely affect commodity prices and its main trade partners. Although Australia’s second largest export market is Japan, the Australian press reported that its companies are not exposed to Japan’s recent disaster.

While a crippled Europe continues to gladly enjoy being in the shadow of Fed-driven revolutions and natural disasters, its time in the sun is coming to an end. Soon everyone will realize that just today, 2 Year Greek bonds traded at all time wides of over 17%. That's right - holders of Greek bonds for 2 years will be rewarded with a 17% gain if the country actually repays these at maturity. Alas, for those who are paying attention, this has a snowball's chance in Hades of happening. And speaking of Hades, Knight Capital's Alfredo Viegas has released a note explaining not only why Greece has just passed the Rubicon following the release of its disastrous budget deficit details earlier, but also advising those who care, how to be positioned to best profit from Greece's descent into Hades, which will be promptly followed by the rest of the Eurozone. His advice: short Spanish and Italian cash bonds (this trade will work just as well using horrible, evil CDS which no politician still understands and therefore continue to be the scapegoat for everything).

The market has been acting very weird all morning, with the oddness culminating in peripheral European bonds as of several minutes ago. Something odd is happening in the shorter end of Portuguese and Irish bonds, where a sudden move sent the curve to an unprecedented inverted levels as if by a fat finger across the board. Note the dramatic move in the 5 Year of both countries' bonds without any catalytic newsflow, which sent the Portuguese 5 Year to a lifetime high 7.93%. Have the stock HFT algos gone rogue and are now taking over the sovereign bond space?

An earthquake in Japan earlier today sent markets down this morning as today’s EU summit on a rescue mechanism lingers in the background. Treasuries rallied again yesterday as European sovereign news and slow Chinese export growth clogged headlines. The budget deficit expanded in February, pushing out to its largest point ever at $220.5B due to increased spending. The new record occurs in the background of a split Congress that has not yet been able to meet a compromise on this year’s budget and a CBO-projected $1.5T deficit in 2011. Today’s release of February’s retail sales will likely be strong given the spike in gas and food prices, with advance retail sales at 1.0%E v 0.3% prior. Excluding those inflationary boosts, retail sales should still be moderate given the lighter weather experienced in months prior. We expect some upside to expectations here, but note that any disappointment will certainly exacerbate the negative headlines this AM.

Markets in negative territory this morning on the combination of Spain’s credit rating downgrade and an increase in oil prices linked to Libyan President Qaddafi’s airstrike against his country’s own oil export centers yesterday. The U.S. budget remains in limbo as the Senate rejected both a Republican and a Democratic plan yesterday, showing that some compromise is necessary for the budget to move forward. Note that the government’s spending authority ends on March 18. Trade balance figures to be released this morning are expected to show a larger deficit for January at -$41.5BE v -$40.6 prior, owing to the increase in the price of oil imports. Treasuries rallied yesterday as European risk became more apparent. Today’s initial jobless claims are estimated to increase slightly to 376KE from last week’s 368K, the lowest level in nearly three years.

You know, timing is everything. If you hit brakes after you pass the red light... Bang! If you pucker up after you press your face against that of your sweetheart's.... You bonk her/him on the forehead. If you downgrade a nation after obvious signs of insolvency...
As the markets slowly wake up to the risks I've been outlining over the last two years, reality will reassert itself in a most assertive fashion. The (re)adherence to fundamentals will feel like the reinvention of gravity.

The European Union is facing a similar set of events as those leading up to the 2008 US financial crisis. In 2007/08 the US economy was teetering on the brink of recession and the talk among many was that of a goldilocks soft landing. Economic data was still somewhat positive including job growth while equity markets were still holding up. The housing market was beginning to show signs of exhaustion. Manufacturers were confronting rising input costs while consumers were paying more at the pump. The Federal Reserve introduced a new chairman who tried to calm markets with his infamous quote on March 28, 2007, "the impact on the broader economy and financial markets of the problems in the subprime markets seems likely to be contained."